Hayasaka Ai Wants to Enjoy her Youth
by A-Beta Decay
Summary: Hayasaka Ai was nothing more than a servant for the Shinomiya household, and she was fine with that. It was a role she was given, and she had no choice but to play it. But maybe there's more to life than playing a role. Maybe Hayasaka could find a way to be a main character in her own story.
1. Hayasaka Ai Wants to Be a Protagonist

**A/N: hey so this'll be my first ever fan fiction. Based on the Kaguya-sama Wants to be Confessed to Manga. Story picks up right after Chapter 108. Enjoy! **

"Just so we're clear, you only want to be friends with the president, right?" Kaguya's eyes looked back towards me, her friendly demeanor suddenly growing cold. No, cold wasn't the right word. To the outside observer, it would seem like Kaguya was closing herself off as a threat. But having grown up with her, I could tell there was a tinge of worry in her voice.

After a very eventful day of cross-dressing and spontaneous rapping, I couldn't help but find this amusing. Nor could I resist the urge to tease her.

"Don't worry," I told her, as I brushed her hair from behind. "I don't have any romantic feelings for him whatsoever."

I could hear her give a sigh of relief. A wicked smile came over my face. I continued, "Still, if you want to make the president fall for you, you'd better do it sooner rather than later."

I leaned in close. "They say friendship is the first step towards a relationship."

Kaguya sighed yet again. "As always, your sadism is impossible to hide."

I just smiled, quietly reveling in my victory today, and continued to brush her hair. We settled into a comfortable silence, both of us lost in thought. I replayed my words from earlier in my head. Friendship is the first step towards a relationship. Work for the Shinomiya household kept me quite busy, but I couldn't say that I was opposed to having a relationship.

Just having someone to have feelings for sounded pleasant. Having someone return those feelings, well I couldn't even begin to imagine. But for now, maybe I could just be friends with someone and see how it went.

While I was in the middle of these thoughts, Kaguya raised her hand. I stopped brushing her hair and stepped away.

"Thank you, Hayasaka. I think that will be all for tonight." She turned to me and smiled. "Will you help me get ready for bed?"

I returned the smile. "Of course, Kaguya-sama." While she went to brush her teeth, I undid her bed, checked the thermostat, and closed the curtains. Kaguya liked to have the temperature lowered at night, presumably to be able to stay under the warm refined covers of her royal bed.

Adjusting the pillows to her liking, my thoughts returned to finding a partner. Although online dating seems to be on the rise lately, it seems better to meet someone in person, especially as I was still in high school. That left the traditional friends to lovers path.

Sadly, I had a severe lack of male friends to experience this with. The meager number of friends I had at school were simply tools in order to keep my cover as an ordinary student. I always have to keep up gal mode around them, so it's not like they know the true me. Plus they were all female anyway.

Kaguya came out of the bathroom, ready for bed. She was wearing her favorite light pink pajamas. I stepped away and showed her the sheets pulled back, as she liked it. She smiled. "Thank you, Hayasaka."

I nodded. "You're welcome, Kaguya-sama. Would you like me to ready you a story before bed?"

Kaguya settled into bed and sat up. I pulled the covers over her legs. She replied, "That won't be necessary. It's getting late after all." My eyes unconsciously flickered to the grandfather clock in the corner, whose face was just visible in the lamp light. 10:00pm.

Her eyes softened in sincerity. "Why don't you take the rest of the night off? I'll see you in the morning."

A night off. A rare treat, for sure. "As you wish, Kaguya-sama. Have a good night."

"Good night, Hayasaka." We leaned in for a brief hug. Certainly not proper behavior for a master and servant, but one of our little rebellions nonetheless.

I left her and turned off the light. 10:10. Plenty of time left in the night. I nearly sprinted to my chambers, just down the hall. Barreling past the rest of the servants making their night rounds, I threw open my door. My chambers were much more humble compared to Kaguya's, but they served me well. A well-stocked closet for my clothes, a nightstand with a ready lamp, and even a small vanity for makeup and hair. Ignoring all of them, I walked to the bed, removed the scrunchie from my hair, and collapsed face first on top of the covers. The weight of today finally came down over me.

My words kept echoing in my head. I want to experience my youth. The ups and downs, those bittersweet things. Everything Kaguya and Miyuki get to experience. I sighed audibly.

It's true what I said. All day I spend running around after Kaguya. Running her errands and menial tasks and ridiculous demands. I felt like a background character. A plot device.

I flipped over my bed and stared at the ceiling, watching the ceiling fan spin lazily around and around, circle after circle. What kind of exciting youth am I living? Getting caught up in Kaguya's schemes, mainly. Is this where I'll be in twenty years? Nearly forty years old and still running around after Kaguya and her (assumed) family?

Suddenly, my cell phone vibrated. A text message from Miyuki Shirogane. Of course he's still awake. He probably just got off work or is finishing homework.

_Miyuki_: Hey Haysaca-chan! Crazy day today! Glad you were able to get your feelings out.

I smiled. Miyuki's ridiculous plot today actually did work. The coming maid will certainly be a burden lifted, and it was helpful to remind Kaguya about how much she should appreciate me.

_Ai: _Yes, things got out of hand lol. But I think things will get better now.

I sat up. Miyuki-kun really is a good guy. It's quite easy to see why Kaguya would fall for someone like him. He's compassionate and caring and brilliant and hardworking. He's someone I'd love to fall for.

_Miyuki: _Good. I'm proud of you, Haysaca, standing up to her like that.

He still calls me Haysaca though. I never ended up correcting him, did I?

_Miyuki_: Still think you need a mask to be loved?

I thought about it. For a brief moment today, my composure broke and Miyuki, Kaguya, and even Fujiwara heard all my feelings. Fujiwara seemed confused but Miyuki and Kaguya seemed to understand. I wasn't convinced still. I've been in these roles all my life. No one could love the real me, because I'm not even sure who the real me is.

Hayasaka the maid.

Haysaca the butler.

Haysaca the flirty, heartbroken student.

Miyuki keeps pushing me to discard the mask. But he doesn't even realize that all he knows is a mask. Personal desires, wants, goals, dreams. I've suppressed everything for so long.

I thought about Kaguya for a moment. I know she worries over Miyuki and I growing closer. Texting nearly every night, even when neither one of them have the courage to message each other. Kaguya would probably want me to keep this distance, and as both her servant and closest friend I should.

But as me, as Hayasaka Ai, I want to grow closer. I want a friend. I want someone who I don't work for. Who doesn't go to bed at 10:00 every night. I want someone to meet up with and complain to.

A background character would never deviate from her role. She'd stay the good support role she was born into, observe from the sidelines, and never draw too much attention to herself, while the main characters handle everything.

But a protagonist reaches for more.

_Ai: _I'm still thinking about it. But you do me a favor?

_Miyuki: _Sure! Anything you need!

_Ai: _Will you call me Ai-chan? That's the real me.

Maybe, just maybe, I can reach for more, too.


	2. Shirogane Miyuki Learns the Truth

Miyuki Shirogane Learns The Truth

**A/N: Just to be clear, I want everyone to know what kind of story you all are getting into. I know the beginning was lighthearted, but we're going to be getting into some serious themes about isolation and psychological trauma from years of working as a slave.**

**THIS WAS A LIE**

**THIS IS GOING TO BE A LIGHTHEARTED FUN CELEBRATION OF ONE OF THE MOST UNDERAPPRECIATED BEST GIRLS IN MANGA, EXPLORING FRIENDSHIP, FAMILY, AND ROMANCE.**

Anxiety. Fear. Worry. These are not emotions one felt living in the Shinomiya mansion. Everything here was calculated and taken care of. I, myself, was part of the system that ensured these emotions are never felt. Crises that arose were avertly smoothly and quietly. The resources here were as close to limitless as humanly possible.

For Kaguya-sama, most of these negative emotions came from her fretting about her love battle with Miyuki. She endlessly thought and rethought schemes, sent myself and others out on reconnaissance missions, and made last second adjustments when the opportunity arose. When she would go through these episodes, I was always there to comfort her. Or tease her, if I wanted to push her buttons a little. Having repeatedly dealt with Kaguya's absurd levels of fear and stress, I reasoned that I would be well equipped to deal with stress of my own.

It seemed like I was gravely mistaken.

Ai: Will you call me Ai-chan? That's the real me.

I hit send. The Line message went through. Miyuki-kun must have stepped away from his phone, because the read receipt didn't appear immediately. The bright phone screen faintly illuminated my room.

The gravity of my message fell upon me. Did I just ask a boy to call me by name? And not just any boy, the boy Kaguya-sama is in love with. How shameful. What utter lack of propriety.

Miyuki: Ai-chan, huh? You know, I assumed you had told me a false name for Shinomiya's sake. I bet you don't even go to Farris Academy, do you?

He expected this? I smiled. It was fine, we're friends. Perhaps even Miyuki using my name will encourage Kaguya to use his. Although I highly doubt it. Encouraged, I continued.

Ai: I actually go to Shuichin Academy, I'm in 2-A, same as Kaguya-sama.

Miyuki: Wait! That was you!

Miyuki: During the reelection!

It seems that I flustered Miyuki sufficiently enough to cause him to send his texts in multiple messages. How cute.

Ai: Honestly, I was surprised you didn't notice.

Miyuki: well... There was a lot going on at the time... With the reelection and everything...

Ai: My, my. After I confess to you and everything, you can't even remember my face.

Ai: I'm heartbroken.

Ai: How cruel.

Ai: How horrible.

Miyuki: Knock it off!

I smiled, and couldn't help but give a slight laugh. Miyuki Shirogane, fearless leader of our school, righteous and noble, couldn't handle even a little teasing.

Miyuki: I'm sorry I didn't recognize you sooner

Ai: It's okay, it's okay.

Ai: In all honestly, I did my very best to keep my presence hidden from you. I only even met with Kaguya-sama when we were sure nobody else was there.

Miyuki: Well, I'm glad you told me.

I felt myself blush slightly, still a little embarrassed by my brazen action.

Ai: It felt nice to, honestly.

Miyuki: I like the true you, honestly. I much prefer Ai-Chan to Haysaca-chan.

I sighed. It was a nice sentiment, but what did he know of me? What if this Ai-chan was yet another mask? Miyuki's words would be for nothing if all it took for me to be loved was to switch to a different role.

Ai: Oh? And what do you know about Ai-chan, that you'd prefer her over Haysaca-chan?

There was a pause in Shirogane's texts. I took the opportunity to finally change out of my uniform. I threw on a set of soft wool pajamas. Elegant and soft, made of the finest fabrics. The rich truly have mastery over this world. And I requested the sleeves be too long, so I can slip my hands inside when it was too cold.

My phone pinged a minute after I had finished. I grabbed my phone and lied back down on the bed.

Miyuki: I thought about that. You could still be lying to me. But at the kareoke place, you seemed very adamant about showing me your real self. Plus, this you is different?

So he had thought about it.

Ai: Different how?

Miyuki: Looking back, everything Haysaca-chan did was calculated. Every sentence and every piece of body movement served a purpose. It's as if you were acting as the perfect woman.

Miyuki: But just now you said I was heartbroken and called me horrible. I can't think of any reason why you'd do that, except for that you thought it was funny.

I thought about that for a minute. All I wanted to do was make him feel bad, and watch him squirm a little. I was following no orders. I did something because I wanted to.

Ai: I suppose you are right. But that still does not mean you know anything about me.

Miyuki: You see, it means I know you like to be cruel and possibly sadistic. And that's more of a personality that I knew from Haysaca.

Ai: Cruel?

Such a strong word. So many bad connotations. Before he could reply, I added.

Ai: However, I will gladly accept being sadistic.

It's funny how similar Miyuki and Kaguya's minds worked, describing me in the same way. I had never seen two people so perfectly matched yet so far apart.

Miyuki: Very well. Hayasaka Ai-chan has a sadistic sense of humor.

I could approve of that. Kaguya-sama frequently disapproved of my sense of humor. Which of course only reinforced the behavior.

Ai: I see you are astute as ever, Miyuki-kun.

Miyuki: Now if only I could be as clever for this Japanese history paper.

Ah yes. There's a history paper due in two days. Which sadly, is four days fewer than the time it would take for me to build up the motivation to do that. Miyuki, number one in the class, would of course want to do well on it.

Ai: Yes, I finished that a while ago.

Miyuki: No way. You're lying.

Guilty. But it seems we have been talking until 1 am, and I actively avoid doing any homework after the sun has set. Or ever, if I could help it.

Ai: Why yes, I am. I have very little intention of writing that paper. However I know that it's getting late and you should finish yours.

Miyuki: I am suddenly worried about you. But yeah, I really need to finish this a couple other things tonight. I'm glad you're doing okay, and if you ever need a sequel to my funky beats, you know where to find me.

Ai: I'd rather jump into a pit of leeches.

Ai: I'd rather have those leeches breathe fire.

Ai: I'd rather have those flaming leeches burn hotter than magnesium.

Miyuki: Harsh! You said I had much improved!

Ai: A worm that improves itself is still just a worm.

Miyuki: Even harsher!

Earlier today I thought hard about Miyuki's actions and words. About how people function. How people are. Maybe I don't need to change for other people.

I don't know if I believe him yet. But maybe I can try.

Ai: Thank you for today, Miyuki-kun. I will let you finish your work now.

Miyuki: Anytime! Don't stay up too late! Don't end up like me.

I shuddered at the thought. Those deep, imposing dark circles that Kaguya-sama was somehow attracted to. No amount of makeup could ever be able to hide it.

Ai: Never. I would not even think about it.

Ai: Goodnight, Miyuki-kun.

Miyuki: Goodnight, Ai-chan.

I put the phone down. It's been a while since Miyuki-kun and I had such a long conversation. It felt good. I was smiling.

The exhaustion had caught up with me. At some point while talking with Miyuki, I had pulled the covers over myself. And their warm embrace was calling me.

I reached over, grabbed the charger cable, and clicked it into my phone. With no danger of running out of battery, I almost reflexively opened YouTube. My sleepy brain had just enough energy for one final though. Maybe a couple of videos before bed.

**A/N: hello again. Texting conversations are really fun to write. Looking at their conversations in there manga, there would normally be a lot more emoji use, which frankly I don't even really know how to use. So see that as artistic license on top of my already ever-growing mountain of artistic license.****Thank you to everyone who favorited and reviewed the last chapter! See you in the next one! **


	3. Shinomiya Kaguya Wants to Fly

Hayasaka Dream - Shinomiya Kaguya Wants to Fly

**Narrator: Dreams! The nocturnal process of experiencing often strange, imaginary worlds occurring only during the deepest sleep. According to the famed Sigmund Freud, dreams were the brain's way of processing and dealing with unsatisfied desires. A man in poverty may dream of winning the lottery. A woman with an unrequited love may dream of her man confessing his love. There is also the possibly of dreams venturing into the realm of the erotic for both genders. All scenarios designed to help the waking mind deal with difficult circumstances. However…**

**NOBODY BELIEVES THIS ANYMORE!**

**The vast majority of dreams are utter nonsense, random bits of information firing at high speed when the person is asleep. These days, leading neurology experts theorize that dreams are the result of random brain firing, causing familiar events and people to be arranged in an often bizarre arrangement. That is to say…**

**DREAMS ARE MEANINGLESS!**

**So called prophetic dreams may be nothing more than static the brain desperate arranges into a concrete picture. This is, of course, completely false in fiction, where dreams are a convenient way to unearth a character's subconscious desires for the sake of the audience. And thus, let us see what is underneath the many layers of Haysaka's mind. **

I don't remember falling asleep. The last thing I remember was watching videos of catastrophic bridge failure, and the next thing I knew I was listening to the hum of some great engine. It was a different time, yet familiar.

I was not alone; Kaguya-sama was seated next to me, her legs pulled up towards her body. I did not blame her. She was being taken away from everything she had ever known, courtesy of her father, the head of the powerful Shinomiya business enterprise. Our destination was America, eventually to the city of San Francisco, the headquarters of the American division of the Shinomiya business group. It was a cruel move. Kaguya-sama finally found friends of her own, but her father decided she was growing too close. He said the move would be good for her, and of course, I was to come along as well. He had never considered much of me.

They hadn't even a chance to say goodbye. The best Kaguya could do was leave a letter to the remaining housekeepers. We don't even know if they got it.

We had a long flight ahead of us. We were riding on the Shinomiya family airship, the most advanced ship ever devised. The trip would be at most several days. Kaguya made no motion, staring down into her knees. I tried to lighten the atmosphere. "Why don't we listen to the radio?" I suggested.

Kaguya-sama said nothing and didn't move. Regardless, I turned on the radio, if anything just to pass the time for myself. After a few seconds of turning the knob, I heard a familiar voice through the speakers "…miya-san. We…" Kaguya-sama and I turned to look at each other. We know that voice. It was Shirogane Miyuki. I furiously turned the radio back to where I heard the voice. Shirogane's voice returned, clearer this time. "Shinomiya-san! The bird is in the air!" And then the signal abruptly cut out.

Confused, I turned to Kaguya-sama. Her eyes were wide, the first other emotion I had seen her express since we left. "What does it mean?" I asked her.

With a soft, almost dreamy tone, Kaguya replied. "It means he's coming."

Suddenly, the dream shifted. The plot advanced. Kaguya-sama and I were now in the great belly of the airship. We had found rifles, and we were planning our escape. Shirogane-kun and his friends had fixed up two planes just in time to head in our direction, and they were closing in. We just had to make it until they came.

Guards were coming around the corner, petty thugs hired by that accursed butler. I readied the weapon in my hands, and while my training with a firearm was limited, I was more than willing to protect Kaguya-sama through any means necessary. We managed to disable the airship's radio, preventing them from calling backup or scrambling additional biplanes. That left one, albeit glaring, problem: how to escape the ship.

Kaguya-sama had done the calculations, the maximum speed of Shirogane's plane, the average speed of the airship, and the wind predictions for our current altitude. Down in the rafters of the airship, there were spare ropes used for balancing the ship. If we could cut one loose, we could ride the rope down, where Shirogane and Fujiwara could then pick us up. It was a long shot, and there was much that could go wrong, but Kaguya-sama and run the calculations in her head, and I had never seen her make a mistake before.

We reached the areas just above the rafters. All we had to do was jump down, grab the ropes, rip through the skin, and get picked up by two rapidly moving biplanes. Simple.

Kaguya-sama looked at me, before preparing herself for the jump. "Thank you, Hayasaka. No wait." She paused. "Thank you, Ai-san."

I smiled back to her. "It's been an honor Kaguya-sama. But thank me when we're back in Japan."

She nodded and looked down. She readied herself for her descent. I readied my rifle, looking down the sights down the hall. Suddenly, footstep were approaching.

"Go Kaguya!" I shouted. And she jumped, rifle in had. I looked down to see her progress, but when I did, I heart shots ring out. I fell backwards in reflex, and starting running back towards the hallway. My side was on fire, a stray bullet had found its target. From the location of the pain, it didn't seem like the wound was very deep, but would still require attention before too long.

Panic was threatening to cripple me, but I fought that down. I had no idea if Kaguya made the fall or not, but I didn't have time to worry. With the bullet in my side, I would never make it down like she did. There were soldiers coming quickly, and I needed to find a new way out. I readied the rifle in my hands, loaded a fresh bullet, and ran down the hall towards the engines.

The dream shifted again, a sharp, dynamic scene change. I was tired. My body was sore and aching. The radio was disabled, the engines had been sabotaged, and there was only one last obstacle in front of me. Hirata Yumeko, personal butler for Kaguya's father. A dangerous and well-trained assistant.

She knew Miyuki's and his friend's names. She knew where they were headed. As long as she lived, she was a continuous threat to Kaguya. After a long, bloody encounter, I had her cornered. I had shot her once in the left leg, and once in the left shoulder. She was huddled against a steel support beam, defeated. I stood above her, victorious.

She spat at me. "I might not make it away from this, but as I die, I will be able to say that I served the Shinomiya's loyally and faithfully. What will you be able to say, traitor?"

Taking my rifle in had, I pointed the bayonet end towards her. I stared her directly in her eyes. "I will say that I have done far more than served Shinomiya. I have loved Kaguya-san as a sister." With one swift motion, I swung the butt of the rifle against her temple. She crumpled to the ground, body still.

I let out a sigh of relief, then immediately regretted it. My stomach, just under my left ribs exploded in pain. Reflexively, I touched the side with my hand; the bleeding had gotten worse. The bullet was still lodged in my side, doing a rather poor job of sealing the wound. Vaguely I had the thought that if I made it through this mess, I would have to find some way to dislodging it and getting stitches.

I limped my way towards the captain's seat and sat down. The airship was rapidly falling through the air, brought upon by the many holes over the course of the battle. Despite the rapidly changing positions of the cloud, I could not help but be enamored by the beauty of the sky. It was so open. So free. Not like this airship, with its sole destination. That young man Shirogane, with his biplane and his dreams. Point his propeller in any direction, and he would go. I hope he takes Kaguya-sama somewhere far away. Some place with plenty of open sky.

The world was shaking, and my vision blurred. The jerking of the failing ship compounded the effects of the blood loss. Even with my meager medical expertise, I knew it would not be long before I lost consciousness. I stared out into the distance, hoping to enjoy one last sunset. In the distance were two small black dots, disappearing into the clouds. My heart soared. They made it. Miyuki did it.

I gave out a relaxed sigh and closed my eyes. My body slouched further down in the chair, fine leather, as expected of the Shinomiya family. Quite comfortable, in fact. In the back of my mind, I realized I could no longer feel the wound in my site, which was a nice feeling. Breathing was still painful, but even that was fading.

With another slow breath, I opened my eyes again. The dots were still in the distance, odd since I would have expected them to be over the horizon by now. Stranger still, now it appeared to be three dots. Two flying side by side and one slightly above them both. Then I realized the third and strangest feature of the dots.

They were getting larger.

Panic filled me. Had they managed to call the airbase before I destroyed the radio? Were they being pursued? No, if they have been pursued, they would have flown into the clouds where they could elude the fighters. There was no reason for them to make a complete turn around. There was nothing for them in this direction. Just the past. Just pain. Just loneliness. No, there was nothing to return to or return for.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing!

But there was me.

My eyes shot opened, and I stood up despite the numbness. Were they coming back for me? I told her not to. I told her to fly far away, get away from everything in her past. But my mind raced to find another answer. There wasn't one. That stubborn girl never listened to me.

I had to meet them. The airship had holes all over its shell, but there were only a few safe ones. Remembering the path here, there was an airlock just outside the captain's cabin. I limped my way there. Just before leaving, I took one last look out the front window. The dots were now much larger. Two of the dots took on the familiar shape of a biplane. I couldn't recognize the shape of the third. At their current speed, they would be arriving soon.

Putting that aside for now, I had to find a way to communicate with them. The airlock seemed undamaged despite all the chaos, and there was a single parachute left, which I slipped on. I tried to see out of the small porthole, but the dots were completely obstructed by the front of the ship. That left me with one last choice: I had to open the airlock.

The door was opened by a simple valve on the adjacent wall. With the last of my failing strength, the door swung open. The air pressure difference and the strong winds pulled me towards the open sky. I managed to hold on and put my face past the door. The wind threatened to blow me away, but I had to stretch a little further. I needed to see them, even just a glimpse. My Kaguya-sama. Don't leave me behind.

I stretched out my neck as far as I could safely go, but I couldn't find those dots anymore. I looked all around that horizon, but they were nowhere to be found. What happened? Was I mistaken? Maybe they hadn't turned around after all.

But before I could contemplate further, the airship suddenly lurched forward. The great steel machine was finally collapsing. I managed to keep my footing on the metal grating, but my hand precariously slipped off the door. My balance shifted back and forth, my arms were waving furiously trying to keep my weight behind me. If I could just keep my weight behind me, I could fall back into the ship, instead of plummeting into the ground.

Just as I managed the get a good enough footing to throw myself backwards, the ship lurched again. This time there was no saving my footing, I was launched forward. The clouds began to race upwards. Instinctively I pulled the cord on the parachute, but I reached upwards it was gone. Looking upwards I saw the remains of my parachute, the strap ripped off during the fall. Vaguely I realized there may have been a reason it had been left behind.

Maybe it was the exhaustion, maybe it was the pain, but I was surprisingly calm about my rapid descent. The sunset sky was beautiful. With only sky and cloud around me, the only colors were a flurry of oranges and yellows, with little pockets of blue on the other side of the horizon.

Kaguya-sama hadn't come after all. But that was for the best. Find your horizon, Kaguya-sama. Fly far away, where your father will never touch you.

That was the right thing to think, perhaps. The noble thing to thing. The Buddha would be proud of these thoughts.

But these were not my thoughts. Instead, I was angry. I was about to die, and I was angry. I found the energy to yell.

"Don't leave me behind Kaguya-sama!" I screamed, despite the wind easily drowning out my words. "Take me to the sky with you!" If these were my last words, they were going to damn good ones.

"Find your horizon with me!"

With all my heart, I screamed, "Fly away with me!"

Suddenly there a white light, and the sound of fluttering. There was a soft voice, "Geez, Hayasaka. You didn't have to yell so loud."

I looked up and Kaguya-sama was holding me by the hand. The clouds were still moving, but I was no longer falling. Instead we seemed to be moving forward, as if gliding through the air. As if flying.

My vision was consistently blurry at this point, but the light emanating from Kaguya-sama seemed to be in the shape of large, angelic wings. But this was far beyond my comprehension.

Kaguya-sama spoke again. "You didn't really think I'd leave you behind, did I?" Her smile was soft and warm. I hadn't seen a smile like that in years.

"Never, Kaguya-sama," I managed to say. And with that, my strength left me. I could no longer lift my head to see her. I began to close my eyes.

There was a hectic voice from above. "Hayasaka? Hayasaka?! Ai-san! Shirogane-kun!" And then, the rapid fluttering of wings, the hum of a familiar biplane, and then the sweet, silent darkness.

The next morning I awoke, feeling surprisingly refreshed. "How strange," I said to no one in particular. Without dwelling on it too much, I began my morning routine. I got dressed into my main uniform, pulled my hair into its usual ponytail, and went to awaken Kaguya-sama. To my surprise, she was already awake. She was standing by the window, looking out onto the gardens, illuminated by the morning sun. The sunlight made a faint glow around her body. Images of my dream returned to me.

"Good morning, Kaguya-sama." I greeted her.

She turned around and smile, "Good morning, Hayasaka." She must have seen the confusion on my face, as I was remembering last night. Visions of violence and blood, but also of love and loyalty. Kaguya asked, "Hey is everything okay?"

I snapped out of it. I returned the warm smile. "Of course, Kaguya-sama. I was just thinking that you looked like an angel."

**A/N: Wow this was much longer than I thought it was, but incredibly fun to write. Let me know what you think, and I might turn this into a full-blown story with all the pieces added, and some backstory, and possibly a more mature story. It'd definitely be after I finish this one, though.**

**Also let me know if you liked the narrator. I'm on the fence, really. It's funny, but doesn't quite fit with a story centered around Hayasaka. Either way, let me know!**


	4. Hayasaka Ai Walks to School with Friends

Ah, a cool morning. Today was shaping up to be a lovely day. Kaguya-sama was in a good mood this morning, so breakfast went by smoothly. With a friendly "Goodbye", I saw her off in her limousine, while I walked to school.

I cared very little for Shuchiin Academy. Mainly it was a tool to further the interests of Kaguya-sama. Grades mattered little to me, and I spent most of my day blending in as your average teenage high school girl. Ironically, this means I spend very little time with Kaguya-sama at school to maintain the facade. We always arrive separately and only rarely return together. Despite being in the same class, our respective social circles kept us apart.

This was, of course, fine with me. I was quite accustomed to spending my free time alone, and very often preferred solitude if given the choice. Going to high school then was almost an exercise in turning off my brain for nearly eight hours. However...

"~Ai-chan!" A voice called out to me from across the street.

I turned to face the voice. Across the street, a girl wearing a Shuchiin Academy uniform was waving me over. Her long dark hair waved lazily in the slight breeze. One of the two good friends I had made in high school, Erina Tomoko.

Strictly speaking, I never needed to make friends in high school. My life belongs to the Shinomiya group. However, it would have been quite strange for a student at such a prominent school to not make any social contacts. It was necessary to find acquaintances in order to maintain the cover.

That being said, I was oddly fond of these two girls. Their normal, everyday high school problems and joys were somewhat refreshing. My time I spent with them was fairly limited due to the nature of my job, something the two of them never cease to bug me about.

In a blink of an eye, my demeanor changed. I jumped into the ultimate school camouflage: gal mode. "Tomo-chan!" I yelled across the street.

When the walk light came on, Tomoko skipped across the crosswalk and joined me on my side of the road. Suddenly, she put a finger up to her ear and stated in English, "Starfighter Wise, checking in!" (1)

I responded in the usual way. "Starfighter Love, reporting!" (2).

With the familiar greeting, she threw her arms around me before settling next to me as we walked to school together, her book bag slung over her shoulder.

"Say, did you hear?" Tomoko asked, her eyes beaming with excitement.

"Hm?" I replied. Tomoko seemed to always have some exciting news to share. Last week she showed me pictures of the Indian Giant Squirrel.

"Did you hear the vice president got confessed to again?"

Ah yes. Another poor soul was unfortunate enough to develop feelings for Kaguya. It was not an uncommon occurrence; she is, of course, beautiful and gets confessed to quite often. Every rejection seems to get harsher and harsher, as well. Kaguya herself barely mentioned the instance to me, probably seeing the boy as nothing but an insect.

"Yeah, I think I heard something about that," I replied, my voice rising nearly an octave higher than usual. "She rejected him pretty harshly, huh?"

Tomoko nodded. "Apparently the boy was catatonic for hours afterwards. His friends said that he just kept saying 'I am worthless. I want to be reborn as a slug.' over and over again."

I visibly cringed, but inside I was still not surprised. Kaguya told me that people she had once rejected started to try their luck again, so it was simpler to just break them initially. Perhaps she went a little too far this time, though. Still, the poor boy knew what he was getting into.

"How scary," I commented, letting her do most of the talking.

"Very." Then Tomoko got a sad, almost wistful look in her eyes. "It would be nice to get confessed to though. Just once before high school ends."

The air was getting somber, I could feel it. I quickly had to change the mood, or else the entire school day would be quite unpleasant. I grabbed her hand in mine, she looked at me.

In a cheerful voice, I told her, "Don't worry, Tomo-chan. I know you're a catch. Right now there's nobody good enough for you. "

I saw a gleam of happiness return to Tomoko. It seemed to be working. So I continued, "Plus, if none of these boys can recognize how amazing you are, then I'll date you myself!"

Ugh. Not an appealing concept. But Tomoko started laughing, so it was mission accomplished. She smiled. "That could work, but I don't think you're my type."

"Hey now," I responded, "Beggars can't be choosers."

We laughed again, almost approaching the school now. Which means it was about time for...

"STARFIGHTER SUMMER!" A voice rang out from across the street in broken English. Tomoko and I both looked up, knowing exactly who we'd find Seizawa Natsuko. The loudest, brashest, most fun of our trio. (3)

Natsuko was running down the street in the usual Shuchiin uniform, carrying her handbag as if it weighed nothing. Natsuko's father was a high-ranking member of the JSDF. (4) The three of us met from being in the same class last year.

But now that the three of us were together it was time. The three of us stood in a triangle, saluted, and shouted in English, "REPORTING FOR DUTY!"

And as soon as that was over, we all started laughing. It was surprisingly easy to laugh with them. They were always supposed to just be cover, but I suppose I don't mind spending time with them.

"Aaanyway," Natsuko continued as we finished the walk to class. "What were you guys talking about?"

Tomoko replied, "How scary the vice president is."

"Oh yeah! She rejected that guy so hard!" Apparently, word spreads fast about such topics. Natsuko continued. "Man, I wonder what kind of man the vice prez would end up with."

Tomoko replied. "Obviously with the president!" She spoke with such enthusiasm as if it were an indisputable fact.

Feeling like I hadn't contributed to the conversation in a while, I cut in, "What? No way?"

Tomoko stopped walking and gave me a shocked expression. We had reached the school gates now. Several other students were coming in with us, but paid us little mind. No doubt Kaguya-sama was in class already, but who knew about Miyuki. Some days he was twenty minutes early, and other times he arrived just as the bell was ringing.

Tomoko continued. "Seriously?"

Natsuko and I briefly looked at each other. "Seriously what?" I asked her.

"You too Natsuko?" She rolled her eyes. "Well obviously the prez and vice prez belong together! Totally obvious. It's as if the universe conspired to bring these two together."

Natsuko laughed. "Geez Tomo-chan. Never you seen this fired up about something."

I nodded. "I know, it's so unlike you!"

Tomoko scoffed. "Ugh, do you guys really not see it?"

I offered, "Um, not really?"

Natsuko agreed, "Yeah not really."

Tomoko threw up her hands. "I can't believe you guys."

Natsuko suddenly pitched in, "Well didn't you guys hear?" Tomoko and I tilted our heads in confusion. She continued, "I heard the president was seen leaving a mixer with a blonde girl from another school!" She whispered this excitedly, despite most of the student being inside the school now.

"Really?" Tomoko leaned forward excitedly. "A blonde girl?"

Reflexively, I twirled a curl of my blonde hair with me finger. So people had seen Miyuki and I at the mixer. I hadn't considered that possibility. As the president of the most prestigious school in the region, I figured people would realize he is above such rumors. Evidently, I was wrong.

"I wonder who it was," I added with feigned amusement. "There's not too many blonde girls around here." I said this, fully knowing it would be easy to cast suspicion onto me.

Natsuko had more news. She continued, excited. "And what's more, they apparently went to karaoke afterwards!"

Damn it! People had even seen that? I suppose Miyuki is a rather famous figure, and his terrifying eyes are quite recognizable.

"Wow do you think something happened there? Singing out their feelings for each other?" Tomoko asked.

Natsuko replied, "Well the rumors after that get less reliable. Some say that the girl left him alone. Others say that she confessed to him that night, and he accepted! Nobody really knows, though."

Quickly, I turned away from them, as we were exchanging our shoes in the locker room. It was a convenient time to look away, because I was blushing hard. That was of course the original plan going into that night. His horrific attempt at rapping is what finally broke my resolve, and nothing happened that night. The rumors were quite imaginative about what happened, but I can't say that they were particularly unpleasant.

Wait, what was I saying? If Miyuki had accepted my confession, I would have rejected him harshly the next day. I was just trying to prove a point to Kaguya, and her happiness is what matters. Plus, even if I did have feelings for him, once Kaguya found out, she would have me and my whole family shipped away to Antarctica.

I interjectd. "Well nothing happened then, because someone would have seen them together again. We know he's not seeing anyone right now, so nothing probably happened at karaoke."

Suddenly, Tomoko gasped and started grinning. This smile of hers was particularly worrisome, when she had just solved a difficult math problem, or knew the solution to a brain-teaser. My heart sank.

"Obviously," Tomoko announced, slowly, drawing it out. "They must have had a one night stand!"

"What?!" I couldn't help myself from exclaiming, much louder than I intended. My face was burinng. The two girls stared at me, confused. "Um, sorry. There was a rock in my shoe." I explained, pathetically. I coughed to clear my throat. "Anyway, there's no way Miyuki-kun would do anything like that." I tried to sound dismissive about the whole thing. I was so caught up in my emotions, that I didn't see the fatal mistake I had just made.

Natsuko shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. He doesn't seem like the type." So far I was safe.

"Hold on minute," Tomoko raised a hand. Sadly, nothing gets past Tomoko. We were right outside of our classroom now. "What did you say, Ai-chan?"

"Hmm?" I tilted my head, not knowing what she was referring to.

"Did you just call the president 'Miyuki-kun'?"

I didn't realize my heart and my stomach could sink so far.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay this time. Finals were rough.** **Thank you for your patience. I had a lot of fun bringing these two blank slate characters to light. Also, I hope to be able to add more references to Japanese language and culture in the future. **

Translation notes:

1\. The starfighter names are Japanese writing puns. Tomoko can be written with the kanji for wisdom.

2\. Ai means love in Japanese. Aishiteru = I love you.

3\. Natsu = summer

4\. JSDF= Japanese self-defense force, aka the military


	5. Iino Miko Draws a Line

"Did you just call the president Miyuki-kun?"

I froze. Curse that Tomoko, with her attention to detail. She ranked fifth in the entire school during exams, and I supposed she earned that spot. But coming back to this, I was stuck. My lies were worthless now. I tried to think of a way around it. How could explain my relationship with the president?

I could say he was tutoring me, because my grades were consistently average. No, that wouldn't explain why we were so close. They'd probably take that to me that we were secretly dating and using tutoring as an excuse. Not the answer.

Maybe I could say he and I were distantly related? No, they'd see through that too. Everyone knows Miyuki came from a family of commoners. And Natsuko's gossip web would quickly be able to prove it wrong. Also, not the answer.

Damn. If only Kaguya were here. She faces this kind of situation every day, and perfectly navigates through with ease.

I didn't have much time left. Natsuko even looked a little curious to my reply. The classroom was just a few steps away. Why couldn't this have happened inside?

_RRRRRRR_

The three of us standing jumped and turned to face the sound of a harsh whistle. Just a few feet away was the the most recent addition to the Shuchiin Student Council, Iino Miko. Next to her was the other member of the Public Morals Comittee, Osaragi Kobachi. Iino's long brown hair came down just past her shoulders, and her eyes were filled with displeasure. I have already had several run-ins with her in the past, usually just being able to escape. But it seems I was cornered this time. Or at least, that's what she thinks.

I smirked. I had been preparing for this for a while.

Iino drew herself as tall as for miniature stature would allow. "Hayasaka-senpai," she declared. "Finally, I caught you." She turned to face us and put her hands on her hips. Osaragi stood behind her in silence, her thick glasses obscuring her gaze.

Tomoko and Natsuko looked inquisitively at Iino. She was quite a sight, someone so small who thought she had so much authority. In truth she did have a fair bit of authority, and we all probably should have recognized that. But she was unfortunately easy to deal with.

Cheerfully, I replied, "Oh it's Iino-chan? What's up?"

Iino grimaced at my lack of propriety, but continued, "I see three clear violations right now." She pointed at my uniform, with a sweater wrapped around my waist. "That sweater does not constitute proper use of attire. That keychain is in violation of the adornments standard, and not to mention that skirt is clearly not the allowed length." She turned to Osaragi dramatically. "Yes, I'm afraid you'll have to come with me. I've never seen so many violations, why I-"

I cut her off. "Well actually." And I tugged my skirt, revealing that I had tucked it in at the waist to shorten it. "This is the official Shuchiin Academy skirt, however appropriate length is never specified."

She tried to intervene, "Maybe but-"

I cut her off again. "The keychain is smaller than a 500 yen coin, and so is permissible, and the sweater cannot be tied around the neck, but the waist is allowed." I kept my smile light and airy the whole time. I had of course read the Shuchiin Academy school handbook several times before coming here in preparation for Kaguya-sama's arrival. I would need to know all the fine details if I was to serve her dutifully.

These arguments were of course flimsy at best and founded upon weak technicalities. If a teacher were to seriously investigate my attire they would surely classify it as a violation. But this was getting tiresome anyway, and we needed to wrap this up.

Iino gritted her teeth, unable to think of a proper response through her frustration. Osaragi continued to watch, her expression unchanging. "But," I said suddenly, "Thank you so much for looking out for us. I know that is a difficult job as the Disciplinary Committee."

"Oh?" Iino was taken aback.

Tomoko jumped in at this point. "Yes it is very impressive how you're able to remember all those rules. As expected of the number one freshman student."

"Impressive..." Iino mumbled to herself.

Natsuko came for the final blow. Peaking out from behind me, she added, "Oh and those twintails are super cute! You'll have to show me how you do them some day."

Iino reflexively reached for her hair and started to stroke it. "Cute," she said clear enough for everyone to hear.

Then she suddenly regained her composure and looked around at where she was. She coughed to clear her throat and said, "Well that's very kind of you to say. Um, we can meet up some day and I can show you how I fix my hair."

Natsuko continued, "Ah yes! Definitely!"

Tomoko came in. "Thank you, Iino-san. It seems that we are almost late for class though. We should take our seats."

Iino looked quickly at the clock. "Ah! Yes." She coughed again. "You may return to your business. Goodbye." And she swiftly turned around, and as she was walking away, she reached up and felt her twintails again. Osaragi stayed to look at us for a moment, before breathing a deep sigh and following after Iino. It was honestly adorable, and a part of me feels bad for manipulating her like that. But it was a small, easily buried part of me. Greatly outweighed by the deeply amused part of me.

We finally entered the classroom, laughing when we got through the door. Natsuko was especially cheerful. "Man that went great!" Her hands were behind her head and she bounced down the seat aisle. Tomoko and I agreed as we merrily made our way to our seats. I looked over, and Kaguya-sama was dutifully waiting for class to begin. The appropriate textbook and paper was already prepared. All the people beside her did not dare to speak with her. They were engaged in separate conversations and most had their back to her. Kaguya seemed to pay them no mind, seemingly above the clamor with her icy determination. Her eyes flicked once in my direction and then turned back ahead.

"Scary, huh?" Natsuko whispered to me. We reached out seats, in the back of the room in an L-shape.

"Perfectly matching a certain president's eyes," Tomoko told the both of us.

"I still don't know if I see it," I added.

"Yeah, and we've got to figure out who this mystery blonde is," Natsuko replied.

"Ugh, you guys. No support here, I swear."

"Attention!" the teacher walked in. Relief swept over me. Tomoko seemed to drop the whole Miyuki-SNAFU. It seems I was in the clear. I leaned back in my chair as class began. Maybe this new chapter of my life would go smoother than I thought. Alas, this was to be horribly wrong.


End file.
